A 28-year-old Venezuelan man was hospitalized in serious but stable condition after being shot in the torso by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer following a traffic stop and brief foot pursuit in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, according to local authorities and family representatives.
The incident on Austin’s north side drew an immediate crowd of about 100 protesters who gathered near the scene, where demonstrators clashed with authorities and directed obscenities at police officers holding riot shields, Aljazeera reported. Federal and local officials confirmed the shooting during a Sunday afternoon news conference, stressing that the investigation remains in its earliest stages.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez Identified by Family Lawyer
The man wounded in the shooting was identified by an immigration attorney representing his family as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan. Lawyer Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that her client entered the United States lawfully and previously held a valid work permit.
We are actively working to obtain additional information and clarify the circumstances surrounding the matter. We do not want to speculate or provide information that has not yet been confirmed.
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, immigration attorney representing the family, via Fox News
While Lincoln-Goldfinch initially believed her client had no criminal history and no final order of removal, Department of Homeland Security sources subsequently confirmed to Fox News that Garces Perez is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela who is subject to a final order of removal. Lincoln-Goldfinch later acknowledged to the Associated Press that she did not know his current immigration status.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis Outlines Preliminary Pursuit Details
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed that local police officers played no role in the operation or the shooting. Speaking alongside city leaders, Davis explained that preliminary information pointed to a brief confrontation following a traffic stop.
Davis cautioned that details remain extremely preliminary
and that she had not yet received a formal briefing from federal law enforcement. Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz reported that emergency medical services were notified at approximately 12:56 p.m. on Sunday. Paramedics arrived in less than five minutes, treated the man for a single gunshot wound to the torso, and transported him within nine minutes to a local trauma center, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.
Mayor Kirk Watson Demands Transparency and Local Investigation
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson expressed sharp frustration over the federal operation, stating during the news conference that he was very angry
and extremely unhappy
about the shooting. Watson warned residents against relying on unverified claims circulating on TikTok, X, and other social media platforms.
Watson asserted that the city of Austin wants the city’s police department involved to provide independent oversight. The city of Austin deserves answers,
Davis added, confirming that the Austin Police Department’s special investigation unit and the Texas Rangers are teaming up to investigate the incident.
Lawyer Lincoln-Goldfinch reported that after Garces Perez was discharged from Dell Seton Medical Center, he was transferred into federal custody. She raised concerns that federal officers held him for approximately six hours without providing his wife with meaningful information regarding his health, status, or whereabouts, and noted that family members had not been permitted to see him.
U.S. Representative Greg Casar Calls for Independent Probe
U.S. Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat representing parts of Austin, condemned the shooting as part of a troubling escalation in federal enforcement. Casar pointed to a summer surge that saw ICE record more than 50,000 arrests per month in July and August, alongside an earlier incident in July where an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston during a vehicle pursuit.
It is awful that this horror has come to our doorstep,
Casar told reporters, adding that ICE should end its surge here to ensure community safety. Casar formally demanded a complete, independent investigation and the immediate public release of body-camera footage.
Продолжение темы
